Khabib Nurmagomedov says he will fight newly-crowned UFC interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier in September.
Poirier and Max Holloway fought out a classic five-round thriller at UFC 236 on Saturday with the former securing the win on the judges’ scorecards.
All three judges scored the fight 49-46 in Poirier’s favour – a result which halted Holloway’s 13-fight winning streak.
The win sets up the possibility of a unification bout Nurmagomedov – although the lightweight champion believes a draw last night may have been a fairer result.
“I don’t agree with the judges 49-46,” Nurmagomedov wrote on Twitter. “I got a draw, my respect to both fighters and Poirier’s achievement so far cannot be denied. My congratulations Dustin, see you in September.”
Nurmagomedov has not fought since defending his lightweight title at UFC 229 where he submitted Conor McGregor on the most-watched UFC card in history.
After a cage-side brawl involving McGregor and his team, the Dagestan fighter was handed a nine month suspension by the Nevada Athletic Commission. He is eligible to return to action in July.
